Ball-player s glove



(NoModel') A. B. DECKER.

'BALL PLAYBR'SGLOVE. No. 550,949. I Patented Dec. 10, 1895.

c xy E WITNESSES E INVENTOR UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE.

ANNA BURNS DECKER, oE KEoKUK, IowA.

BALL-PLAYERS G LOVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,949, dated December 10, 1895.

Application filed September 21, 1895. Serial No. 563,201. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, ANNA BURNS DECKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Base-Ball-Players Gloves; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a class of .gloves or mitts used by players in the game of baseball. y

The object of my invention is to produce an improved and cheap construction of a players glove or mitt that will contain a relatively-greater catching-surface, thereby aiding materially in the retention of the ball, and in the use of which the hand of the player will be completely protected from danger when the force of the impact of the ball is received.

A further obj ect of my invention is to provide an independent inside padding member which can be readily detached and replaced.

A further object of my invention is to provide said glove with a ball-pocket that is artificially formed at a determinate point in the padding member and that will not become impaired in shape by the disarrangement or bunching of the inside material composing the padding.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a means for reinforcing the edge portion of the inner member of the glove, and which comprises marginal layers and edge coverings of leather or like flexible stiffening material.

It has heretofore been considered necessary only to pay attention to the outside coverings of a glove; but I have discovered that the portion most subject to wear'and which soon becomes disarran ged by bunching and spreading is the inside padding. In my invention this portion is reinforced at its edges, to correct the difficulties heretofore experienced, by devices to be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents in perspective the back view of a glove, showing a hand-pocket provided with fourchettes and other means for fastening the same to the hand of the player. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the independent padded member of the glove. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the external palm-covering of the glove and which is adapted to inclose and protect the contiguous face of the padded member. Fig. 4 represents in crosssection a fragmentary portion of the united edges of the glove, illustrating the means employed for fastening and retaining the respective edges of the several members in proper position. Fig. 5 shows a detail in perspective of the edge portion that illustrates a modiiication in the manner of applying the fastening cord'or lace.

In the several figures like letters of reference indicate like parts.

The glove A represented in the drawings is designed to be produced in all of its parts from durable sheet material, such as felt,

buckskin, andthe like.

In constructing my improved glove the padding of same is formed into an independent bale that is composed, preferably, of a numb er of sheets or layers of felt, as shown in Fig. 2 at b b. These sheets are of uniform thickness and are cut in blanks and shaped to provide thumb and palm portions that are undivided in contour and when assembled are provided with a pocket B on the palm-surface that may be formed in the process of manufacture by any of the well-known means of shaping. These sheet members Z) b are bound by an edge casing of leather b', that extends around the entire edge of the same and that is folded over so as to lap the upper and under face of the padding member to form a marginal edge or ridge.

The thumb portion of the padding member is made to stand slightly forward by means of stitching a gusset b3 between the layers of padding at a point between the thumb and palm portions. This gusset is made to extend and terminate at a point beneath the center of the circular depression or pocket B', located on the palm side of the padding, as indicated at b4. This serves the purpose of assisting in maintaining the shape of the circular depression under all conditions of use. A thin piece of leather about an inch in width is also placed between the layers of padding, as indicated at b2, and is preferably made to IOO extend as indicated by dotted line, so as to form another means for reinforcing and stiffening the edges of the bale member and thereby serve the purpose of extending the catching area of the glove.

Located and ranged at intervals around the edge on the marginal strip of leather and at a suitable distance from the edge of the bale member are punctures or elongated eyelets or hollow rivets e e, passing through the entire thickness of the padding, and which serve the important function of preventing the pad* ding material from bunching and spreading, and thereby properly preserve the shape of the pocket formed therein, while they also form a means of fastening the padding member detachably to the covering members of the glove, as well as forming a fastening means for the edge casing of leather.

The palm portion of the glove, as shown in Fig. 3, consists of a blank sheet C, of thick leather, eut in contour to form thumb and palm portions that agree in shape and size with the inside bale member, and which is provided with eyelets Ct a on its marginal edge, the latter being arranged at intervals to coincide and register with the hollow rivets or punctures e c, located on the bale member, as shown in Fig. 4f.

The back portion of the glove consists of a sheet of material cut to the same size and shape as the bale member, and which is provided on its outer face or upper surface with a piece forming a pocket for the reception of the hand of the player, that may be secured to the back portion of the glove in a substantial manner by sewing, to form a pocket with fourchettes, .as indicated at D, and which are adapted to receive the fingers of the player. The wrist portion of the pocket is cut away to form an opening for the insertion of the hand, and the edges of same are provided with supplemental retaining and fastening devices to secure the glove against slipping or dropping off. Said fastening devices consist, as shown, of the well-known loop-cord attachment, in which a cord is secured at its opposite ends near one edge of the opening, forming a loop, each portion of which passes through an eylet at the opposite end. Said loop also passes through a ring that can be readily hooked, as indicated at h.

In assembling the parts the palm portion C and the back portion C are each brought to the respective faces of the bale member and positioned thereon to meet in contour the outline of the latter, while the eyelets are made to register with the hollow rivets extending through the bale member to allow of the introduction of a fastening cord or lace.

The fastening-cord Eis then passed through a series of eyelets extending around the entire edge of the glove and tied, the cord being run as shown in Fig. 4i. Another method of running the cord is shown in Fig. 5. This latter method better acts to stiffen the edges of the glove.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A ball players glove comprising external front and back coverings, a removable padding between said coverings and detach able means for securing the same at their peripheral edges that consists of a tie which passes from one external covering to the other through the removable padding, substantially as described.

2. A base ball players glove comprising separable external front and back coverings, the latter being provided with a pocket for the hand of the player, a removable padding member that is shaped in conformity with the outline of the glove, and that is provided with an outer edge casing secured thereto around its entire edge with a series of integral eyes which extend through the padding at its edge; and fastening and retaining means for unit ing at one edge the respective members, substantially as described.

3. A base ball players glove comprising separable external front and back coverings, a removable padding, shaped in conformity therewith, and which consists of sheets of padding material that are secured together at intervals around their edges and that includes a circular depression at a de terminate point therein, and fastening and retaining means for uniting the respective members at their peripheral edges, substantially as described.

4. As a new article of manufacture, an improved inner padding for a base ball players glove that is composed of suitable padding material which is provided at its outer edge with an internal marginal stiffening strip and an outer edge casing of sheet material, means for binding said casing stiffening material and padding together through the peripheral edges thereof, substantially as described.

5. A ball players glove consisting of an external back covering, an inside or 4padded portion, an external front or palm covering, the three portions having thumb and palm parts in undivided continuous pieces, the back covering having a pocket for the hand, the inside portion having a circular depression formed therein, and a stiffened and bound edge penetrated by elongated eyelets, and fastenings for joining the several portions together at theirperipheral edges, substantially as described.

6. A ball players glove comprising external front and back coverings, a removable padding shaped in conformity with the outline of said coverings and that is provided at a determinate point on its palm face with a circular depression and that comprises in its construction a gusset incorporated within the padding material between the thumb and palm portions and that is made to extend to a point beneath the circular depression, and a reinforcing strip at the edge of the padding adjacent to the finger tips, both ar- IOO IIO

ranged and adapted to preserve the integrity In testimony whereof I afx my signature of the circular depression, when subjected to in presence of two Witnesses. the influence of iexure; said padding and coverings being combined and secured by de- ANNA BURNS DECKER' 5 tachable fastening means that pass through Vitnesses:

the same at their peripheral edges, substan- A. H. PHILLIPS, tially as described. THEODORE MILLER. 

